Praise For Victuals

“This is not just a collection of recipes or, as so many cookbooks these days are, a “branding opportunity” for an aspiring chef. In “Victuals” — which the book’s cover makes clear is pronounced “viddles” — Lundy has written a love letter to the foods, culture and fortitude of Appalachian people.”

“Victuals is a cookbook at its heart, but it is in fact so much more than that. It is a documentation of a food culture rooted in Appalachia. It is a collection of essays on food traditions. It is a story that will wrap you up and engage you from cover to cover.”

“Ronni Lundy is from Appalachia, a land of story tellers. I suspect she’s one of the extraordinary ones because this book is an epic, a grabber of a story of her people, their cooking and their ways. If I had to pick just one book from 2016, this would be it.”

“Lundy is a warm and charming guide with a deep-seated love and respect for the region and its approach to cuisine. Fans of locally sourced foods and Southern cooking will find a lot to like here, as Lundy does a terrific job of showcasing Appalachia’s breadth and depth.”

“Victuals promises to be the jewel in [Ronni Lundy’s] crown, setting the record straight about her native cuisine, too long dismissed as homogenized, and telling instead the real story of a cookery thrillingly formed at the crossings of African, European, and Native Nation traditions. Did we mention it comes with recipes?”

“Flipping through these pages makes me want to hug my mom and plant some greasy beans. I’ve been waiting a long time for Ronni to write the definitive story of Appalachian cooking, because she is the only one capable of doing so. Sit back and prepare yourself to discover the wonders of the Appalachian Mountains. The wisdom and flavors within these pages deserve your full attention.”

– Chef Sean Brock

“Each chapter of Victuals focuses on a tentpole of Appalachian cuisine; an ingredient or a tradition. Essays on each, along with 80 recipes, tell the story of this diverse mountain cuisine through the words of one of its biggest champions.”